Common Questions

Our lists are created by industry export professionals, not directory aggregators or other online companies with no relevant food/consumer goods industry experience.

Each distributor is personally validated by Greg Seminara, our managing director. Distributors can not self register or pay to be in our database.

Our Distributor lists are designed for manufacturers of branded products normally sold through supermarkets, pharmacies, and food service channels. We do not include distributors of commodities or ingredients........just value added products.

Frequent updates are available through our online platform. Other directories are in print or updated only one time per year.

Export Solutions has tremendous credibility with the consumer goods community as an industry insider. Our Export Express newsletter is read by over 5,000 export professionals worldwide and over 300 people a day visit our site to read our 150 Export Tips articles http://www.exportsolutions.com/exportTips.aspx

More than 2,700 brand manufacturers and government trade organizations depend on Export Solutions database as an essential timesaving tool.

Our proprietary lists were compiled by consumer/food products professionals with 27 years working with distributors, importers, and brokers in Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Asia and the USA/Canada. The carefully researched lists contain distributors, importers, and brokers who are the leading local companies at supplying supermarkets and other trade channels. Many companies represent easily recognized global brands. Today, we are grateful that leading distributors submit their company data to be included free of charge in our industry leading directory.

Export Solutions distributor lists are updated every day ! Distributor company names and web sites rarely change, with accuracy rate at 98 %. The distributors key contact for new product inquiries and their email addresses may change as a result of job moves or organizational shifts. We employ three separate mechanisms to keep up to date with contact person changes. However, no database is perfect. Exporters can always check a distributors web site or call them directly to discuss their project. Please note that contact people in emerging market lists change frequently reflecting the pace of development in these countries.

Today our database includes 96 countries with the highest per capita GDP globally. This includes virtually every country in Europe,Asia, and the Middle East. We cover every country in the Americas from Chile to Canada and even Belize in between. Currently, South Africa is the only country we cover in Africa. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access all countries in the entire database for one year. This includes all new distributors and countries that are added and any updates in contact information.

Most countries list an average of 63unique distributors. The lists provide a mix of large, medium size, and small distributors, importers, and brokers. The larger distributors tend to prefer partnership with established global brands while the smaller distributors tend to be more entrepreneurial and open to pioneering new brands and smaller companies. The USA Distributor/Importer list contains 446 distributors and importers, organized by State.

Export Solutions knows many of the Distributors in our database. Clients of our Premium Subscription or Talk to An Export Expert Services can gain access via phone to our insights on the best distributor candidates in any of the 95 countries we cover for your brand.

The comments section of each distributor listing supplies important clues on each distributors specialization or brands represented. Successful companies use the database to screen companies to develop a top 5 list of high potential candidates. Export managers send a short introductory email with a web link to their company site. Then, the export manager follows up with a phone call within 48 hours. The database is an excellent tool to invite potential candidates to an international trade show like Sial,Anuga, ISM or Sweets and Snacks.Note: Mass mailing distributors usually generates less than desirable results. Export Solutions is available to help conduct due diligence on distributors through our Strategic Services or Talk to an Expert programs.

Database Accuracy

Our accuracy for Company names is 97 %. Companies rarely change their names. Similarly, companies rarely change their web site address. Over 80 % of the distributors listed include a web site address. No web site address usually signals that it is a smaller distributor.

Each listed distributor submits to us the name of the preferred first contact for new product representation inquiries. Usually, this is the name of the managing director, marketing manager, or new products brand manager. Periodically, people change jobs or leave the distributor. We maintain four separate mechanism's for keeping the database up to date.

An email address is provided for 96 % of distributors. For 70 % of companies, we supply a direct email address to the key contact person. For some smaller distributors, we supply only a general mailbox email (info@) type address. Emails bounce back when the contact person changes jobs or leaves the company. Our email address accuracy level runs at 85 %. This translates to 90 % level or higher in established markets of Europe and North America and 80 % in emerging markets where people change jobs frequently.

If your email to an important distributor candidate fails, we suggest a visit to the companies web site and send an inquiry through their general mail box. You may also call the companies telephone number to inquire about the new email address or likely the new person in charge of new business inquiries. Export Solutions appreciates any updates sent to us.

Export Solutions offers a service called Email Your Company Profile to leading distributors. As with point one, when we perform this service, if we receive a returned email, our research department investigates and corrects the error.

Distributors are selected to list their companies in our database. Export Solutions is viewed as a valuable partner for new business leads. Leading distributors will email us a notification of a personnel change.

We are grateful for our community of subscribers around the world. Many of our updates are provided by our subscribers so that all members of Export Solutions will benefit.

Export Solutions strives to provide current information, but no database is perfect. We are proud of our company level accuracy rate of 97 % and email/contact person accuracy levels exceeding 80 % for most established countries. Our customers always maintain the option of checking a distributors web site for an updated email address or calling the contact person directly. All updates are graciously accepted

No. Our database is designed for online use. Customers can also print their lists at any time within 90 days (one year for subscribers). We do not provide tools to export in excel or pdf for security reasons. Our database serves as a valuable helper to the industry because we take steps to limit sharing of our lists with people who have not purchased them.

Features & Benefits

Customers can purchase our lists by country, category, or purchase an annual subscription. Individual country or category lists are available online for 90 days after purchase .All clients receive "One Click Access" to distributors web sites.

Subscribers enjoy access to all lists, all countries, and all categories for one year. This includes "one click access" to all distributors web sites and email addresses. Subscribers receive access to new distributors added every month, as well as updated distributor contact information.

Premium subscription includes all the benefits of an annual subscription plus phone/email access to Greg Seminara, owner of Export Solutions. Greg is a global expert on Distributor identification through more than 300 projects covering virtually all of our 95 countries. His personal insights can help you identify the best candidates for your brand. Premium subscribers can schedule 10 phone consultations with Greg Seminara as part of their package.

Subscribers can now search the database with various inputs and combinations. This includes searching by country and category or by Brand name. For example...tell me the names of Confectionery distributors in India. Or tell the name of the Tabasco distributor in Brazil .

Our database provides subscribers with live links to distributors web sites and email address. Click on the web site field and be taken immediately to the distributors web site. Click on the email field and your Microsoft Outlook (or other mail tool) will be automatically populated with the distributors email address. Visit our Free Sample Distributor List for more information.

Export Solutions database works best for manufacturers of branded products normally sold through the supermarket, foodservice, or pharmacy channels. Our database has been used by more than 2,700 companies....from small start-ups to the industry's largest companies. Our database is not created for manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, private label, or agricultural commodities like fruits,vegetables,or non-branded meat products.

Export Solutions has 27 years of expertise at evaluating distributors. Distributors who currently import and distribute international supermarket /pharmacy brands may qualify as long as they maintain a physical presence in a country and are financially stable. Export Solutions encourages all our customers to perform independent due diligence on distributors, as performance may vary widely by brand.For more information on Distributor evaluation, check out our free 66 page Distributor Search Guide.

Export Solutions sources distributor candidates using six specific strategies. This includes having access to the global distributor lists of more than 300 brands and store checks in at least 25 countries per year.

General

Our database contains an appropriate mix of small, medium, and large distributors. Big distributors are receptive to global , "power brands", with plans to invest heavily in marketing. Small distributors, are more entrepreneurial, creative enough to work with manufacturers of all sizes. Our database reflects a high coverage level ( 80 % +) of the established distributors working in each country.

Many of our customers want more information on the distributors than what may be found in the database or on the distributors web site. Export Solutions is available to provide phone based insights
on a wide variety of export topics via our Talk to an Expert Service. We have also published more than 200 free articles and 10 Handbooks on export for our industry. Click here to view our Export Tips.